Hey again! A long chapter this time. I'm hoping to end the story by 18 chapters, if possible. So there won't be any more OC's or anything. I will write an epilogue, though (if the need arises). Basically, just enjoy!

ibliniyxxx

Haley's heart was a torrent of emotions. She barely even heard the petrified screams of the other people as the boat began sinking, barely felt the hail that pelted her cruelly, mocking her pathetic attempt to get her sister back. For a deluded moment, she was reminded of the day Alex had been tied up to one of the poles around their high school...

Flashback

Alex tugged desperately at the complicated knot around her wrist. Some people, more specifically bullies had spotted the trapped girl and had begun coming towards her. They were underneath the seats that surrounded the pitch, near where it said 'Haley Dunphy Do me' or 'Haley Dunphy Dome'. It depended on how you looked at it. The dirt underneath her feet was swirling around in a great big mess, as she put her foot against the pole in an attempt to reach the knife concealed in her boot. She had a permit for it of course, she wasn't a thug.

The sun shone brightly, making her wince, even though she was in the shade. The creaking of a thousand seats nearly deafened her as the mindless, silly popular girls and guys along with the wannabees and the cheerleaders all rose to scream a victorious scream, stamping their feet and jumping up and down. Alex felt some brief irritation as she manoeuvred her hand along her leg to the side of her boot, cursing as she found only her gun, an FN Five-seven, loaded with 28mm length bullets. The gun was fairly small, and had been in production since 2000, but MI9 had issued it to her because it was not only the smallest one they could find, but the only one which was small and had a good shooting range. She had taken a liking to it and carefully painted it blue and grey, like most of her clothes. She was about to reach her knife when-

SPLAT.

A ball of dirt hit her squarely in the back of the head. She whipped around, her intuition telling her to duck as another ball came flying towards her. It hit the pole behind her. And standing in front of her was Haley, Breanna, Clarissa and Molly.

"Time to pay, nerd," they sneered.

Flashback end

She came back to reality as water, freezing water, began lapping at her legs. Hysterically, she looked out at the vast torrent of crashing waves, looking at the black sky, and the dark waves. To her utter horror, she realised there was something moving in the water...

"We have to save them."

It wasn't a statement, or an inquiry, it was an order. Alex stood before her new parents, Jane and Roger. Her arms were folded, her fire back. Nothing would stop the new Alexandra Smith. Roger frowned.

"How are we going to do that? There's no way we'll get any authorisation," he said. Jane saw Alex open her mouth to argue and quickly intervened. Her soft brown hair fell by her face as she lay a gentle hand on Alex's arm.

"Alexandra, sweetie, we aren't going to be able to go. All we can do is wait out the storm and search for survivors. I promise, the moment it feels like dying down, we'll go and search."

Alex sank to the floor, eyes blurry with tears. She felt Chris's arm go around her, but all she could think about was her sister's words. She had barely even heard it, but Haley was standing right next to the radio, and that's when she knew; Haley cared. And now she was dead.

"Wherever you are , Alex... I hope you're happy..."

Haley screamed. It was unlike anything she had ever heard before. It was something of pure terror, of hopelessness, of death. She looked around at the other passengers, all of them holding onto each other, praying, crying. She grabbed part of the rail that had come off, her eyes searching for a loose part of the boat. She spotted it, big enough for her to sit on.

It was the beginning of a desperate, round-the-clock attempt to save her life.

Tongue in between her teeth, she swiped at the large piece of metal, ignoring all the cuts she was accumulating on her hands. She screamed again when something bit her leg, the water around her becoming red with her blood. Quickly, she lifted her foot, checking her ankle. The bite wasn't that deep, she would live.

"Here!" shouted a man, and he kicked the floating dish in her direction, before sinking out of sight. She grabbed it. "Thank you," she whispered, and sent a prayer to God- if there was one- to help the man in any way he could. Sometimes the kindness of strangers would never fail to amaze her. She pushed her way through the crowd, searching again, and then-

CRACK.

Lightning struck the boat, and Haley was blown off her feet, electricity burning her skin. It was only a brief few seconds, but to her it lasted a lifetime, oh the pain, the pain, the crackles, it was deafening, make it stop-

She nearly choked on the water assaulting her face.

Get up, get up, there's something in the water.

Everything was muffled, as she let go of the dish.

Get up, get up, there's something in the water.

She snatched hold of it, crawling below deck, her fuzzy brain shutting down.

Now you see me, now you don't.

She found what she was looking for in the shape of ropes, and wood. Wood floated, right?

I'll bite, I'll bite, I'll bite you if you're not careful.

Hazily, she attached the wood underneath and around the large dish, using the ropes to hold it in place. It might only last an hour, but an hour might be enough. Her arm convulsed upwards as another bite came.

I'll drown, I'll drown, I'll drown you if you're not careful.

She stared at the teeth marks. Small and sharp, like needles. Hundreds of needles. The water around her had gone dark. But the light was on. Why was that happening? The light was on. She should be able to see everything in the water.

I'm small, I'm dark, I bite, I drown. Careful now, don't want to be at the bottom of the sea.

Unless the things in the water were dark.

Lots of humans for me to eat...

She splashed towards the door, ignoring the sickening crunches beneath her feet. Where were her shoes? Oh right, you don't wear shoes while you're asleep. Had she been asleep? It was a world away from this. It would be easier to let the water take her...

"But easier," she said, gritting her teeth, "Is not always better." With the last bit of her energy, she threw herself out to sea, landing safely on the dish.

But even if I manage to survive this storm, how will I get to England?